Week 8 - Miami, Arizona: Week 2 or 3 in Arizona....I AM NOT SURE

Well this has been yet another fantastic week. Saturday night, we got invited to go to the reservation (which is a ways away) to go see one of the little girls that we are baptizing do an Apache Sunrise Dance....it really was very interesting. We drove to the heart of the very dilapidated reservation and it was insane. The church there has like bulletproof windows. Everyone that lives there is getting paid by the government to live there, so nobody works...and they go a little crazy. We had to get special permission, but we drove there and there was an enormous fire and a lot of Indians doing some crazy chanting around the fire...Jalen, the girl we are baptizing, did so great. It was a lot of fun and the people were really nice and a little weirded out that white dudes in ties came and joined in on the ceremony. I got asked to dance by an Apache girl...but don't worry I refused. 

Other than that, it has been insanely busy. My trainer, Elder West says that there is an insane amount of work to do and he has been out for 21 months! We are baptizing two this Saturday...the Mills family. They really are great people. During our last lesson with James, a big burly Russian kinda guy, I expressed to him that I felt it necessary that he know that many people would eventually be taught the Gospel in his home...which wasn't my words! Then he later talked about a dream that he had before he heard of the Church in which people were coming in and out of his house being taught true words that he didn't know at the time....The Holy Spirit speaks mightily to Heavenly Father's children for sure! 

So we began teaching Brett, a younger guy, and then he brought two friends that were ready to hear the gospel as well. They are getting baptized November 21. It has been awesome! There are now 8 people in our area on date for Baptism and many more the Lord is preparing as well! 

General Conference was also a blessing. Hearing the words of prophets, especially on a mission, are life changing and call for much soul searching

SO as far as my feelings go for being a missionary:

-It's really difficult

-members help with the work and feed us great food

-I am slowly becoming more Christlike (not even close but worth working my hiney off for!)

-I have been pretty sick, but Heavenly Father provides a way to accomplish the things that are commanded to us, so the work has not slowed down a bit

-I LOVE THIS. 

I love you all! 

Love Elder Flake!